Device for holding stacks of napkins and the like



March 25 1924a 1,481858 P. H. HORWlTT DEVICE FOR HOLDING STACKS OF NAPKINS AND THE LIKE Filed July 6, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESS INVENTOR TTOR/VEYS March 25 1924. 1,487,858

P. H. HORWITT DEVICE FOR HOLDING STACKS OF NAFKINS AND THE LIKE Filed July 6, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 16 WW m gwmw ATTORNEYS k T all whom it may concern:

Patented Mar, 25, 1924.

entree snares IPAUL H. HORWITT, OF BROQKLYN, NEW

YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 INDEPENDENT IPAJPER MILLS, INCL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DEVICE FOR HOLDING STAGES OF NAPEINS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed July 6 Be it known that I, PAUL H. Honwn'r, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Holding Stacks of Napkins and the like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for bold ing stacks of napkins and the like and more particularly to holders for paper nap-kins, paper towels, toilet paperand the like, and has for its object to provide a device of this character of novel and simple construction with which the napkins or their equivalent are combined in the form of a novel stack so as to be capable of individual removal witha minimum of effort and without waste. Other more specific objects of the invention will appear from the description hereinafter.

In the accom anying drawings which show examples 0 the-invention without definin its limits, Fig. 1 is a plan view of one Form of the device- Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section; ig. 3 is a sectional elevation of another form of the device; Fig. 4 is a plan view thereof and Fig- 5 is a diagrammatic section illustrating on an enlarged scale the arrangement of napkins or their equivalent in a stack.

The invention consists essentially in a holder with which a supply of napkins or their equivalent stacked in a novel manner, is combined and a member or means located adjacent to an end of said stack and adapted to permit one corner of the terminal napkin, which has been turned back to form a flap, to project outwardly'from said terminal map kin in a position to facilitate the removal of said terminal napkin from said stack. To attain this result the napkins or their equivalent have non-registering corners turned back to form flaps which are progressively released and permitted to project outwardly from their napkins or their equivalent as each napkin reaches the end of the stack and becomes the terminal napkin therein. The means or member whereby this result is accomplished is, generally speaking, in the form of a frame having corner members so located and arranged as to press against all parts of one end of the stack except the turned back corner or flap of the terminal napkin.

, 1923. Serial he. ceases.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the device prises a base 10 from which a pedestal 11' of a plate of a size to accommodate the napkins or their equivalent. The napkins a in this form are stacked and each napkin has a corner turned back to form a flap b, the flap of each napkin being out of registry with the flaps of adjacent napkins; that is to say, the napkins or their equivalent which constitute the stack have non-registering corners turned back as indicated to provide the flaps b. The device comprises further a. means or member in the form of a rectangular frame 13 adapted to rest upon a stack of the napkins and havin corner members 14 of triangular form as s own in Fig. 1. In the preferred arrangement flanges l5 depend from theirame 13 in a manner to guide the same in its movements and to enclose the stack of napkins a or their equivalent.

In practice the stack of napkins is placed upon the support 12 and the frame 13 is placed upon the upper end thereof so that the corner members 14 rest upon the upper end of the stack and extend over the four corners thereof. The stack is thus depressed while the flap b of the uppermost or terminal napkin a, being free, is caused by its inherent resiliency to project or extend away from its napkin at an angle as shown approximately in Fig. 2. The flap is thus in a position to be eas1ly grasped by the fingers and to be utilized to remove or pull the terminal napkin from the stack. It will be understood that the flaps b of all but the terminal napkin are maintained. in a folded or turned back condition by the adjawnt napkins a which lie over the same and by the pressure exerted through. the medium of the corner members 14 of the frame 13. As each napkin a or its equivalent becomes the terminal napkin of the stack its flap b will be released and permitted to assume the inclined position indicated in Fig. 2 thus serving in the previously indicated manner as a meansfor readily withdrawing said terminal napkin from the stack. lit will be understood that the corner members 14: and the flaps b are so dimensioned that each of the latter will be free to assume the inclined position hereinhefore mentioned when its napkin %comes the terminal napkin of the stack. The degmndent flanges 15 or their Elii equivalent revent the removal. of the napkins from tie stack in anything but the intended. manner and at the same time protect the napkins or their eeuivelent against indiscriminate handling and consequent contamination,

in the form illustrated in Figs 1 and 2 the napkins are folded into squares while in the form shown. in Figs, 3 and 4 the nepkins a are folded into oblong recteng'ular form, that is to sey, in the letter cese the diagonally opposite corners of successive napkins are turned over to provide flaps 5 corresponding to the flaps 6 previously referred to, otherwise the form oi the invention shown in Figs 3 and 42 may he" the same in operation as the form shown in Figs.

1 and 2. The frame 13*, however, instead of having corner members l l is constructed in the form of a. plate with. corner recesses 14 with which the flaps h" are adopted to register and with edge slots lei through which the terminal napkin a is withdrawn by its flap 6' when removal from the stack is desired, if desired, one or both forms oi the device may be provided with rods 16 projecting upwardly from the supporting plate l2 and serving to position the stack of nap till kins or their equivalent thereupon, In such case as shown in Fig. i the frame l3 which corresponds to the frame 13 of Figs. 1 and 2, may lit exteriorly over said rods 16 as shown in Fig, 4-.

It will be understood that theconstruction and arrangement of the device may be otherwise than as disclosed in the illustrated ex amples and that the support 12 might move toward the frame 13 or 13 which in such case would be stationary or the frame 13 or l3 might be caused to exert an upward pressure on the steel: which in such case would have its terminal napkin at the lower end from which successive napkins would be re" moved in the previously indicated manner.

In whatever form the invention may be constructed it eliminates waste and makes it easy to procure as many napkins as may be desired and displays the napkins for use in a sanitary wholesome condition.

It will he understood that l have used the term napkins to include anything which i let nee may be considered the equivalent of e peper napkin such as fabric napkins, peper or fabric towels, toilet paper and the hire.

Various changes in the specific form shown and described may he made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. The combination of a holder, a stack of rectangular sheets combined therewith and heving corners turned back to form flaps and means located adjacent to an end, of said stack and arranged to permit the flap of a terminal sheet to project sway therefrom whereby said flap may he grasped to remove said terminal sheet from said stack.

2. The combination of a holder, n stack of rectangular sheets combined therewith, said sheets having non-registering corners turned back to form flaps and-a member adapted to exert pressure against said stack at all parts of one end thereof exceptin the flap of the terminal sheet whereby sai flap is free to project away from its sheet tofacilitate the removal thereof from said stack.

3. The combination of s holder, a stack of paper napkins combined therewith and having corners turned back to form flaps, the

flap of each napkin being out of registry with the flaps of adjacent napkins end a frame having corners-members adapted to prom against said stack and to permit the flap of the terminal napkin to project'outwordly therefrom to facilitate the removal of said terminal napkin from the stack,

4. The combination of a, holder, a stack of paper napkins combined therewith and having corners turned back to lormofieps, the flap of each napkin being out of registry with the flops of adjacent napkins, a frame having corner-members adapted to rest upon said stack and to permit the flap of the terminal napkin to project outwardly therefrom to facilitate the removal of seidterminal napkin and flanges depending from said frame and enclosing said stock.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand.

PAUL H. HURWl'lT.

Hill 

